


When Forgiveness Lies Beneath The Lies

by AllTheLokisWelcome7



Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Family Coming Together, Family Feels, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nonverbal Communication, Platonic Relationships, Self-Worth Issues, Set in Act 1, Team as Family, accidental injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-25 06:03:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20371897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllTheLokisWelcome7/pseuds/AllTheLokisWelcome7
Summary: Despite El's insistence, Erik feels like he doesn't belong in their group of friends. Everything changes when he sustains an injury that brings them all together.





	When Forgiveness Lies Beneath The Lies

**Author's Note:**

> Whoops, I blink and two months go past since writing most of this. Time to bring this rescued fic to its natural habitat.

Erik pressed his back against a tree on the outskirts of the campsite, his body turned away but his chin pointedly tilted towards the remaining party. The weight of his forearms against his ribs was comforting, their steady heat a brief distraction from the dull ache in his chest. His gaze trailed from one person to the next, watching their faces as they laughed, and their hands as they shared stories and traded materials.

Everyone was so happy. Whether he was there or not never seemed to matter, as they behaved no differently when he approached. The thoughts that he was invisible, and barely worth a coin, swallowed his heart like poison as blades of ice and lightning pierced it ceaselessly. Whenever those doubts crept up on him, they stole his breath, leaving him gasping and gripping his knees as the tree supported him.

On nights like this, lost in his grief, El would approach slowly, careful to stay in his line of sight. He tentatively touched his arms, soothingly stroking them when he flinched, before gradually advancing to his upper back. The hand between his shoulder blades was a steady, reassuring reminder that he was not alone anymore. Not unless he wanted to be.

El's love was as vast and deep as the valleys of Arboria, endless like Yggdrasil's light. Nothing had ever crossed Erik's path that felt as safe or as welcoming.

Sometimes, his pain twisted that safety, replacing it with bitterness. Before the rest of the party had come together, when it was just the two of them, that light had blinded Erik. It had made him feel special then, but El offered that same love to everyone without hesitation. He was replaceable to even the Luminary.

Tonight, he swallowed the fears, allowing himself to be led back to camp. Although the stares and welcoming smiles of the party fell on him, he could no more trust their warmth than the chill at his back. The press of the log against his thighs was grounding, but its comfort was limited on this night.

“I'm going to bed,” he announced loudly, dusting flecks of moss from his clothes. He meandered into the tent and curled up under his blanket, squeezing his eyes closed. Sleep would not find him until it had taken everyone else, but laying down was the best course of action for him when it got this bad.

El gazed wistfully at the tent flap, shoulders slightly hunched with dismay. Serena wrapped her arms around him whilst Jade set a hand on his shoulder, her sights fixed on the tent as well, each expressing their support.

“Not to worry. I have faith that he will come around soon,” Serena promised, a sparkle like embers blazing in her eyes.

“If he were going to come around, he would have long before now,” Veronica muttered dryly.

“Still,” Jade added, her voice steady even as her expression pinched with uncertainty. “It would be better for all of us if he understood that he has just as much right to be here as we do.”

El nodded sadly, one hand covering Jade's while his head fell on Serena's shoulder.

“We must continue to show the darling nothing but love and patience,” Sylv assured. “I'm with Serena on this one.”

“Per'aps it'd be better fer us tae call it a night as well,” Rab offered, dragging another log onto the fire. The party watched it catch, flooding the clearing with a brighter glow, before silently agreeing that it would be enough to see them through until dawn. Goodnights were exchanged around it as each member filed into the tent and found their bedroll.

When the tent was filled with the soft cacophony of snores, Erik finally gave himself over to sleep.

* * *

Morning came sooner than expected, heralded by the yowls of Sabrecubs in the distance. Erik rose first, leaving the tent only to check on the fire and wash his face. Glancing at the tent, he briefly paused to listen for anyone waking up, before leaving the safety of the Goddess statue to gather more firewood to cook their breakfast with.

No sooner had he collected an armful of it than the sound of a twig snapping in the underbrush reached his ears. His blood ran cold and he froze, barely breathing as he waited for further movement. A large monster charged him suddenly. Erik dropped the bundle to dodge out of the way, but slipped on the rain-drenched leaves underfoot, the creature's tail crashing against his chest and sending him flying. A yelp of pain rushed out of him with the rest of his breath as his back collided with a tree. Pain blossomed through his knees as he crumpled to the ground, bark falling around him as the tree sagged. The noise of the tree cracking caused the monster to flee, scrabbling over slippery rocks and leaves in its haste.

Erik was stunned for a time, focusing only on forcing air into his lungs. Jade knelt before him when he next opened his eyes, her own dark and widened with concern. She rested a hand on his knee reassuringly, watching with horror as he grimaced, then shouted to the others. Her words were drowned out by the ringing in his ears. Soon, Serena and El were standing over him, wave after wave of healing spells washing over him and numbing the pain from the wounds that remained. Jade patted him down, wincing sympathetically as he grunted, his panting growing worse as she continued.

The rest of the party soon arrived to carry him back to camp. Erik found himself sitting on a blanket, staring up at the brightening sky past the anxious faces of his comrades, focusing on anything other than the pain that pulsed through him with each breath. His hearing steadily came back to him as the cold air chilled his arms. No matter how much he tried, he could not remember when they had managed to pull his tunic off, but he recalled their collective gasps of horror as the angry bruise spanning his torso was revealed.

“Don't try to move, honey.”

Sylv's hand rested on his bare wrist, face a flimsy mask of neutrality as their shimmering eyes betrayed their worry.

“I'm sorry,” Jade whispered sincerely as she finished tying the bandage that looped around his chest and shoulder. “I should have awoken sooner. Maybe then we could have prevented this...”

“We'll stay here for a few days longer, just until you can travel again,” Serena promised.

Veronica set her hands on her hips, but the tightness of her fingers in the folds of her dress spoke of her concern louder than her harsh words.

“That was one hell of a stunt you pulled. You could have gotten yourself killed, you know.”

“I-” Erik started, wincing as the pain crept from his chest into his throat. “I'm sorry.”

“We know, laddie,” Rab said softly, deliberately resting his hand on Erik's uninjured shoulder. “You just focus on resting up now.”

“We're all here for you, honey,” Sylv promised, sliding their palm down to pat his hand instead. “Do you need some water?”

Erik nodded slowly, careful not to jostle his shoulder. Sylv returned it and left to fetch a waterskin.

“Try not to do anything like that again,” Veronica grumbled softly, her pointing less menacing than usual.

Jade rubbed salve into the grazes on his knees, missed by the spells, before plastering them with patches of gauze and rolling his trouser legs back down. She left the gaiters off, lest they restrict his movement.

Sylv returned to his side, Erik quickly taking the container and downing its contents gratefully.

“I don't know what to say,” Erik muttered, glancing between each of them. “You all... really do care about me.”

“Of course we do, sweetie. You're part of our little family too.”

“Family...” Erik closed his eyes, sighing softly. When he opened them again, an unguarded smile pulled at his lips. “We're a family?”

“We certainly are!” Serena called happily, clasping her hands together.

“Family has to stick together,” Veronica conceded.

“Everyone... Thank you.”

El stroked Erik's hair soothingly, unwilling to risk his back being too sore, and smiled sweetly down at him. The injured youth leaned into the touch, gleefully basking in the warmth of their friendship. Finally, their affection reached his fearful heart, reaching it past its cold outer shell. Finally, their smiles felt as genuine as a small part of him always knew they were. Contentedness washed over him in waves as the healing magic had.

“When I'm better, I'll return the favour. I'm with each of you all the way.”

“We know,” the party answered, each voice uttered at a different pace. Erik ignored the pain as he laughed softly, the others soon joining in as they found the humour of the situation.

His smile felt strange on his lips, so unlike his usual smirk, but the relief it brought him was worth every second of the odd sensation. For once, he was being honest with himself. Erik never knew the truth could feel so freeing, or more refreshing than the wind through his hair or a swim in an oasis. He was loved by every person he travelled with, and after today, no doubts about their intentions would ever plague his troubled mind again.


End file.
